Oak Ridge might not have the most talented volleyball team in the area, but what they do have is a team full of fighters.
While the squad sometimes doesn’t play up to its capability, time and again the girls fight to the bitter end and that never-say-die attitude and will to win has earned them a few hard-fought victories this season.
On Wednesday against Folsom, the Lady Trojans held a two games to one lead, 25-20, 24-26, 25-20 heading into the fourth game. The Lady Bulldogs, however, didn’t go down without a fight and pulled off a dominating 25-16 win to force a fifth game. In the fifth game, Oak Ridge found themselves a point away from losing, trailing 14-11, but scored the final five points to win the match 16-14.
“What this team does well is battle back when their backs are to the wall,” Oak Ridge coach Becky Potter said. “They showed a lot of fight in that fourth game against Monterey Trail (on Tuesday) and again against Folsom. This team has a lot of energy and passion for the game, and I never have to worry about them being ready for a game, but sometimes they get so amped up to a fault.”
Against Monterey Trail a day before the Folsom match, Oak Ridge won the first two games easily, 25-15 and 25-10, before struggling and losing the third game, 25-20. The Mustangs gave the Lady Trojans all they could handle in the fourth game before Oak Ridge earned a hard-fought 29-27 victory.
Potter said senior outside hitter Mysha Davies had a good week playing consistent volleyball. Davies tallied 11 kills against Monterey Trail and 13 against Folsom, while also digging 13 balls against the Lady Bulldogs. Emily DeMure added 11 kills in the match.
“Emily’s a freshman, but has really proven herself to the girls and has done a great job on the right side,” Potter said.
Oak Ridge plays host to Ponderosa today before heading back on the road to face Pleasant Grove on Monday.
“I want to see more consistency out of the team this week,” Potter said. “The girls need to dedicate themselves to being focused and doing what we need to do. We have had streaks of inconsistency, but they’ve done a good job of fighting through it. They’re getting better.”